LA woman held for July 4 beating of elderly man

A 30-year-old woman has been arrested in the vicious Fourth of July beating of a man in his 90s who was walking in the Willowbrook neighborhood of South Los Angeles, authorities announced Wednesday. Soon after, a group of men attacked Rodriguez, he said.

Laquisha Jones, a resident of Los Angeles, was arrested without incident near 60th Street and Crenshaw Avenue about 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated in a news release.

Jones remains jailed in lieu of $200,000 bail.

As for Jones, he said she's in the right hands.

Investigators have not specified a motive at this time and are still looking for additional suspects.

Rodriguez, who doesn't speak English and is a legal U.S. resident, said he doesn't understand why the mob attacked him.

A neighbour had filmed the assault and told United States media that the woman who hit him said: "Go back to your country".

"I can't walk anymore", Mr Rodriguez told CNN in an interview. Rodriguez's family said they're grateful he'll eventually recover from his serious injuries, but they fear someone else may be targeted if those suspects remain on the streets.

Rodriguez, whose face is still black and blue a week after the attack, hugged Borjas outside his home Wednesday and thanked her for her help.

"When I take the picture, she said, 'Oh, he tried to touch my girl.' I saw everything, this is a lie".

Borjas, who said she witnessed the attack, said Rodriguez did nothing to provoke it, though she said Jones claimed he had bumped into her daughter.

'When I tried to videotape her with my cell phone, ' Borjas said of the woman pictured holding the brick, 'she threw that same concrete block, tried to hit my vehicle'.

"I didn't even bump into her kid", Rodriguez said.

"I can't walk", Rodriguez said. "He's 92 years of age. What kind of threat does he pose to you, for you to do this to him?"

His grandson said Mr Rodriguez does not speak much English and did not understand why he was being attacked.

A GoFundMe campaign started by Rodiguez's family to pay for his medical expenses had raised $248,307 - far exceeding the $15,000 goal - as of Wednesday morning. Donations have already surpassed $165,000 (£124,000).

Rodriguez, who said he travels about twice a year from his home in Mexico to visit relatives in Willowbrook, suffered a broken jaw, broken cheekbones, two broken ribs and bruises on his face, back and abdomen, his family said.

But LASD told FOX 11 they now have no evidence this was a hate crime, though they continue to investigate.